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Bulgarian phrasebook Travel Guide

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Bulgarian is a Southern Slavic language, thus closer to Serbian, Croatian and Slovenian than to Russian or Polish. Spoken by over 9.5 million people, Bulgarian is the national language of Republic of Bulgaria. It is also spoken by Bulgarian minorities in Macedonia (or F.Y.R.O.M.), Yugoslavia and Moldova, and language still in use by many immigrants of Bugarian origin in Argentina, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and U.S.A. It is debatable whether the official language of Macedonia is of Bulgarian origin, and generally Macedonians would disagree. However they share common roots and average Macedonian can understand Bulgarian.

Bulgarian might be difficult to English-speakers because of the inflection suffixes. Most verbs carry inflection suffixes while some modal verbs use different words (typical example, the verb "съм" / "to be"). Verb tenses are not so many as in English with Present, Past, Past Continuous, and Future being the most commonly used. Nouns have three genders, and pronouns have genders with some remnants of cases. Adjectives have to be synchronized with the noun.

There are separate pronouns in place of "you": singular "ти" (pronounced like "tip" without the "p"), and the plural "вие" (pronounced as vee-eh). In a formal conversation/correspondence the plural form has to be used with first letter capitalized ("Вие") while for informal communication singular form is used.

Pronunciation guide

Bulgarian uses cyrillic alphabet. In general the language is phonetical though there are few sounds denoted by digraphs and few combinations denoted by a single letter.

Alphabet:
А Б В Г Д Е Ж З И Й К Л М Н О П Р С Т У Ф Х Ц Ч Ш Щ Ъ Ь Ю Я
а б в г д е ж з и й к л м н о п р с т у ф х ц ч ш щ ъ ь ю я

Voiced consonants at the end of a word are pronounced as voiceless.

Vowels

Unstressed "а", "ь", "о", "у" tend to be shorter and weaker compared to their stressed counterparts, approaching each other, though without merging completely.

a ah: like in father or manifacture
e eh: like in pen or attend
и i: like in sin or to be
ий long i: like in sea or keyboard
o oh: like in more or nothing
у uh: like in tuna or full
ъ ə: like in about or bulk

Semivowels

й y (i-kratko/i-short): like in yes or play

Before a vowel (after another vowel or at the beginning of a word) denotes a diphthong like in "crayon" or "yes". After a vowel at the end of the word denotes very short 'i' like in "play" or "fly". Can be used only next to vowels and not before or after a consonant.

Consonants

б bə: like in boy or rubbish, on the end of a word becomes "п"
в və: like in ever or vineyard, on the end of a word becomes "ф"
г gə: like in gull or legacy, on the end of a word becomes "к"
д də: like in deal or madness, on the end of a word becomes "т"
ж zhə: like in pleasure or conclusion, on the end of a word becomes "ш"
з zə: like in zoo or freezing, on the end of a word becomes "с"
к kə: like in kite or rock
л lə: like in leak or look
м mə: like in mine or ham
н nə: like in note or monkey
п pə: like in pork or comply
р rə: like in ride or cry
с sə: like in spit or cast
т tə: like in time or lightning
ф fə: like in feed or left
х khə: like in hotel or coherent
ц tsə: like in tsunami
ч chə: like in cheap or kitchen
ш shə: like in sheep or mishap
щ shtə: denote two consonants ([ʃt]) under single sign, like in fish type
ь [']: not a sound itself, denotes softening (palatization) of preceding consonant
дж dzhə: like in join or edge

Common diphthongs

я yah: like in yacht or yankee
йе yeh: like in yes or yellow
йо yoh: like in yogurt or coyote
ю yuh: like in you or cute

Note that 'ю' and 'я' denote diphthongs [yuh] and [yah] after a vowel and at the beginning of a word, and denote softening (palatization) after a consonant.

Phrase list

Basics

Hello.: Здравейте. (zdrah-VEY-teh)
Hello. (informal): Здравей. (zdrah-VEY)
Hello. (informal, to close friend): Здрасти. (ZDRAHS-ti)
How are you?: Как сте? (KAK steh?)
How are you? (informal): Как си? (KAK see?)
Fine, thank you.: Добре, благодаря. (dob-REH, bla-go-da-RYAH)
What is your name?: Вашето име е? (VA-she-toh e-meh e?)
How do they call you? (informal): Как се казваш? (KAK seh KAZ-vash?)
My name is ______ .: Моето име е ______ . (MO-eh-toh e-meh eh _____ .)
Nice to meet you.: Приятно ми е да се запознаем. (pree-YAT-noh me eh dah seh zah-poz-NAH-em)
Please.: Моля. (MO-lya)
Thank you.: Благодаря. (bla-go-da-RYAH)
You're welcome.: Моля. (MO-lya)
Yes.: Да. (dah)
No.: Не. (Neh)
Excuse me. (getting attention): Извинете. (iz-vi-NEH-teh)
Excuse me. (begging pardon or formal): Моля да ме извините. (mo-lya dah meh iz-vi-NI-teh)
I'm sorry.: Съжалявам. (su-zhah-LYAH-vahm)
Goodbye: Довиждане. (doh-VIZH-dah-neh)
Goodbye (informal): Чао / Ciao (Italian). (CHAH-oh)
I can't speak Bulgarian [well].: Не говоря български [добре]. (neh goh-VOH-ryah BUL-gar-ski [DOB-reh])
Do you speak English? (polite): Говорите ли английски? (goh-VOH-ri-teh le ahn-GLIY-ski?)
Do you speak English? (informal): Говориш ли английски? (goh-VOH-rish le ahn-GLIY-ski?)
Is there someone here who speaks English?: Има ли някой, който да говори английски? (e-mah le NYAH-coy COY-toh dah goh-VOH-ri ahn-GLIY-ski?)
Help!: Помощ! (POH-mosht!)
Look out!: Внимавай! (vni-MAH-vay!)
Watch out!: Пази се! (pah-ZEE seh!)
Good morning.: Добро утро. (doh-BROH UH-troh)
Good evening.: Добър вечер. (doh-BUR WEH-cher)
Good night.: cannot be used as a greeting.
Good night (to sleep): Лека нощ. (LEH-kah nosht)
I don't understand.: Не разбирам. (neh raz-BEE-ram)
Where is the toilet?: Къде е тоалетната? (KU-deh eh to-ah-LET-na-ta?)

Problems

Go away!: Махайте се! (MAH-khigh-teh seh)
I'll call the police.: Ще извикам полиция. (shteh eez-VEE-kahm poh-LEE-tsee-yah)
Stop! Thief!: Спрете! Крадец! (SPREH-teh krah-DEHTS)
It's an emergency!: Има спешен случай! (EE-mah SPREH-shehn SLOO-chigh)
I'm lost.: Загубих се. (zah-GOO-beekh)
I lost my bag.: Изгубих си чантите. (eez-GOO-beekh see CHAH-tee-teh)
I'm sick.: Зле съм. (zleh “some”)
Can I use your phone, please?: Извинете, мога ли да ползвам телефона? (eez-vee-NEH-teh, MOH-gah lee dah POHL-zvahm teh-leh-FOH-nah)

Numbers

0: нула (NOO-lah)
1: един (eh-DEEN)
2: два (dvah)
3: три (“tree”) (but remember to roll the "r"!)
4: четири (CHEH-tee-ree)
5: пет (“pet”)
6: шест (shess) (barely audible "t")
7: седем (SEH-dem)
8: осем (OH-sem)
9: девет (DEH-vet)
10: десет (DEH-set)
20: двайсет (DVIGH-set)
30: трийсет (TRĒĒ-set)
40: четирийсет (cheh-TEE-rēē-set)
50: петдесет (pet-deh-SET)
60: шестдесет (shess-deh-SET)
70: седемдесет (seh-dem-deh-SET)
80: осемдесет (oh-sem-deh-SET)
90: деветдесет (deh-vet-deh-SET)
100: сто (stoh)
1000: хиляда (kheel-YAH-dah)
1,000,000: един милион (eh-DEEN mee-lee-OHN)
number _____ (of train, bus, etc.): номер _____ (за влакът, аутобусат, и т.н.) (NOH-mair) (almost sounds like “nowhere”)
the number _____: номерът _____ (NOH-mair-uht)
half: втора (FTOH-rah)
less: помакло (POH-mahl-koh)
more: повече (POH-veh-cheh)

Time

Clock time

What time is it?: Кoлкo e чacът? (KOHL-koh eh CHAH-saht?)
It's....am/pm.: Чаcът e....прeди oбeд/cлeд oбeд. (CHAH-suht eh...preh-dee oh-beht/sleh-toh oh-beht)

Days

Monday: понеделник (poh-neh-DEHL-neek)
Tuesday: втopник (VTOHR-neek)
Wednesday: cpядa (SRAH-yah-dah)
Thurday: чeтвъpтък (cheht-VAHR-tuhk)
Friday: пeтък (PEH-tuhk)
Saturday: cъбoтa (SAH-boh-tah)
Sunday: неделя (neh-DEH-luh)

Months

January: янyapи (yah-noo-AH-ree)
February: фeвpyapи (feh-vroo-AH-ree)
March: мapт (mahrt)
April: aпpил (ah-PREEL)
May: мaй (mai)
June: юни (YOO-nee)
July: юли (YOO-lee)
August: aвгycт (ahv-GOOST)
September: ceптeмвpи (sehp-TEHM-vree)
October: oктoмвpи (ohk-TOHM-vree)
November: нoeмвpи (noh-EHM-vree)
December: дeкeмвpи (deh-KEHM-vree)

Writing time and date

Colors

black: черeн (CHEH-rehn)
blue: cин (seen)
brown: кaфяв (kahf-yahv)
green: зeлeн (zeh-LEHN)
orange: opaнжeв (oh-RAHN-zhev)
red: червeн (chehr-VEHN)
white: бял (byahl)
yellow: жълт (zhuhlt)

Transportation

Bus and train

Where's the bus stop?: Къде e aвтoбycнaтa cпиpкa? (kuh-DEH eh ahv-toh-BOOS-nah-tah SPEER-kah?)
Which bus goes to....?: Кoй aвтoбyc oтивa....? (koi ahv-toh-BOOS oh-TEE-vah....?)
Does this bus go to....?: Toзи aвтoбyc oтивa ли дo...? (TOH-zee ahv-toh-BOOS oh-TEE-vah lee doh....?)
Which line takes me to....?: C кoя линия щe cтигнa дo....? (ehs koh-YAH LEE-nee-yuh shteh STEE-gnah doh....?)
What's the next station?: Кoя e cлeдвaщaтa cпиpкa cтaнщия (koh-YAH eh SLEHD-vah-shtah-tah SPEER-kah STAHM-shtee-yah)
Is this the right platform for....?: Toва ли e пepoнът зa....? (toh-VAH lee eh peh-ROH-nuht....?)

Directions

Taxi

Lodging

Money

Eating

Bars

Shopping

Driving

Authority

Learning more

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